ESPNEWS will broadcast Chuck Liddell weighing in for UFC 71 while wearing his UFC Signature Series shirt available at Soliscompany.com.
Chuck Liddell prepares for UFC 71 wearing the UFC Signature Series shirt he helped design. The entire Signature Series collection is available Soliscompany.com. ESPNEWS will broadcast the event on May 25 at 4PM PST.

AQABA, A Global Web Strategies Company Launches new website for Midwest MMA Promoters
AQABA proudly announces the launch of new website www.mucl-usa.com for Midwest MMA Promoters, LLC.

Martial Arts

Reasons to Join a Martial Arts Class

If you are looking for a new exercise program, either because you are in a rut with your old routine, or you are just starting out, you might want to consider joining a martial arts class. Martial arts is a fun, challenging work out that you can enjoy alone, with a friend or with your children. The obvious reason that many people chose to learn martial arts is self defense. This sport will teach you how to defend yourself for any time you might be attacked. In addition to self defense, martial arts will help raise your self esteem and confidence by toning your body, and making you feel in control over situations.

Fitness is also a good reason to take up any sport, as in the 21st century obesity and disease due to sedentary life styles are on the rise. If you find yourself bored or unmotivated with the routine of lifting weights or running on the treadmill, martial arts might be right for you. It’s a fun work out, so you will be enjoying yourself while burning a large amount of calories.

Martial arts can also teach a person tremendous mental and physical determination, as it not only focuses on the body, but also mind control. Many people who are involved in martial arts say that the courage, and mental willpower that the sport taught them is the best thing they have received from the art. More than ever, people need to start focusing on the well being of their body’s through diet and exercise. If you find yourself more apt to sit on the couch than go for a walk, joining a martial arts class might be an excellent change of pace for you.

About the Author

Joanne Mackenzie writes about various topics. This article is free to re-print as long as nothing is changed, all links remained intacked, the bio remains in full and the rel=”nofollow” tag is not added to any of the links. Thank-you

As the media frenzy surrounding pro athletes' use of performance-enhancing steroids and growth hormone intensifies, more and more athletes are seeking out reliable information on these drugs. As a result, sales of bodybuilding's benchmark reference on strength and size development, Dr. Carlon Colker's Extreme Muscle Enhancement, Second Edition, are increasing exponentially. To celebrate his publishing success, Colker recently created a buzz at the 2008 Arnold Classic by giving away hundreds of copies of his runaway best-seller. (PRWeb Apr 6, 2008)

Read the full story at http://www.prweb.com/releases/gh/bodybuilding/prweb834664.htm

Men’s Health Expert Reveals How to Lose Lower Belly Fat and Flatten Lower Abs

Men's Health expert trainer Craig Ballantyne shares his secrets for men and women to burn belly fat and target their lower abs with abdominal exercises — all while getting maximum results in minimum workout time. Despite what other experts say, you can spot reduce your belly fat and work your lower abs, so that you can get a flat stomach in time for summer even if you only workout in the comfort of your own home. Craig's amazing lower abs workout gives you maximum fat burning and body-sculpting results in minimum time. (PRWeb Apr 7, 2008)

Read the full story at http://www.prweb.com/releases/fat/loss/prweb835254.htm

Martial Arts and Self-Defense Wisdom: Stretch Before A Fight, Not During A Fight

One of the funniest, yet not-so-bright, things that I have ever heard of someone doing during a fight was actually done by one of my former students. Even though the incident that I am about to relate to you happened several years ago, it still makes me laugh every time I think about it. Even now as I type this article, I have a smile on my face and a chuckle in my belly.

I was first made aware of this particular incident on a Monday night as my intermediate adult class was arriving for their first class after the weekend. Larry (the name has been changed to protect the guilty) along with his friend and fellow classmate Joe, had just arrived at the dojo and went immediately to the change room in order to change and get ready for class. As they walked to the change room, I noticed that Larry seemed to be in an awfully big hurry and was actually looking away from me, while keeping his head down so that I couldn?t see his face. Although I thought this behavior was a bit peculiar, I really didn?t give it much thought at the time.

I spent the next 15 minutes or so with my beginning adult class as I finished teaching them their particular lesson for the day. After dismissing them for the evening, I had one of my senior students begin warming-up the next class. Which just so happened to be the one that Larry and Joe were in. The stretching period lasted about 20 minutes and as soon as it was completed, I took over the class.

Now have you ever been in a situation where you see something and then immediately do a double take because you can?t believe what you have just seen? Well, that very thing happened to me. As I called the class to attention, I looked at Larry and saw what had to be the biggest black eye I had ever seen. Now I must admit that I was rather awe struck at the time and just stared at Larry for several seconds. Finally, it occurred to me what I was seeing so I asked him what had happened. Larry?s only response to my question was to put his head down and look at the ground. While this is going on, I hear a couple of snickers coming from the back row of students. Since I was unable to determine who was laughing, I asked the entire class what was so funny. Joe, who ended up being the one laughing, informed me that I should ask Larry and then started outright laughing.

Well, I must admit that by this time my curiosity was sorely peaked. Therefore, I had one of my senior black belts take over the class while Larry and I went to my office. Once inside the office, Larry told me how he had acquired his black eye. Now I am generally not one to laugh at someone else?s misfortune and pride myself on being a fairly understanding and somewhat compassionate person. This however, was not one of those times. As a matter of fact, I was laughing so hard that I actually had tears running down my cheeks.

Now before I get into the actual events behind Larry?s black eye, you may want to stop reading this for a moment and go get a box of tissue paper. Because if you have any sense of humor at all, you are going to be laughing pretty hard in the next few moments as you continue to read this story.

Okay, now that you are back with the tissues, let?s get started.

Apparently the whole incident started the previous Saturday evening when Joe and Larry went to a local watering hole to have a few drinks with their wives. The evening started smoothly with no problems, that is until the local tough guys showed up with more liquor in their bodies, than brains in their head. As it turned out, the same could and would also be said of Larry.

The basic premise of the fight was that supposedly one of the local tough guys had made some kind of inappropriate comment towards Larry?s wife. Larry responded verbally and the tough guy challenged Larry to a fight. Larry agreed and he and Joe went outside with the loud mouth instigator and a couple of his friends.

Once out in the parking lot, Larry and his antagonist started to square off when Larry held up his hands and told the guy to wait a minute that he had to stretch first. When speaking with Joe later that night, he told me that he just stood there dumbfounded as Larry proceeded to sit down in the parking lot and stretch his legs. Now according to Joe, everyone stood there for almost a minute in shear disbelief that this was actually happening. Of course the first person to snap out of it was Larry?s opponent. Joe said that it seemed like he was watching it in slow motion when the guy take a couple of steps towards Larry as he drew back his right leg and proceeded to kick Larry right in the face with what would best be described as a punters kick.

Fortunately for Larry, he seen the kick at the last moment and was able to turn his head enough that the kick didn?t land flush against his face and ended up glancing off of his cheek bone after initially making impact. Larry then proceeded to get up off of the ground and put a major hurting on his opponent. Even though his face and eye hurt considerably, Larry told me that his self-esteem was hurt far worse for pulling such a foolish stunt. I told Larry that although it was a foolish thing to do, at least he had not gotten seriously hurt and that hopefully he learned a valuable lesson from this incident.

After several minutes of me trying to regain my composure, Larry and I began to pick apart the entire incident to try and discern all the various mistakes that were made and how he could avoid them in the future. The following mistakes are those that Larry and I both felt were made before and during this particular altercation.

1. Going to that particular bar, which was known as a roughneck bar, and where there was always trouble of some sort happening.

2. Drinking excessively in the first place. Whether in that bar or any other.

3. Allowing a verbal altercation to elevate into an actual fight.

4. Telling his opponent to hold on a minute, and then actually sitting down on the ground and stretching his legs.

When I asked Larry what had possessed him to sit down and stretch his legs, he told me that he wanted to be warmed-up and stretched out before getting into the actual fight. I informed Larry that the ?actual fight? started long before he went outside and that he was never going to get into a real fight when he was at his best. It always seems that every fight happens when you are either drinking (the vast majority of the time), tired, or distracted by something or someone else. Therefore, he needed to learn how best to avoid a possible confrontation, and when not able to avoid it, how to best use the actual situation and his surroundings to his advantage, not his opponents. And finally, never stop what you are doing in order to, nor expect your opponent to give you the opportunity to, sit down and stretch.

Martial Arts

Martial Arts

Blockbuster film “Elektra” co-star headed to Atlantic City in January 2005
Cary Tagawa of the upcoming blockbuster film “Elektra” will be attending the Mega Martial Arts Expo at the Tropicana hotel and casino in Atlantic City NJ.

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Company launches Capoeira instructional and community based . (PRWeb Apr 18, 2008)Read the full story at http://www.prweb.com/releases/2008/04/prweb872784.htm

MMA Clothing Retailer MMAWarehouse.com Has Hostility for the UK

MMA clothing retailer MMAWarehouse.com announces an exclusive UK distributor partnership with the Hostility Clothing line. (PRWeb Apr 19, 2008)
Read the full story at http://www.prweb.com/releases/mma_clothing/mmawarehouse/prweb874104.htm

Whatcom Karate Kids Compete for Canadian Cups

Twenty-six martial art students, some as young at 8 years, from Bellingham-based Team Rock Solid, won 87 medals and three grand championships at the Tiger Balm Internationals tournament in North Vancouver BC, March 15-16. The team, formed in 2005 by Shayne Simpson’s Pacific Northwest Karate Center, provides a national showcase for the karate skills of its members, aged 8 to 18. The pupils’ families seek sponsors to help their children compete nationally throughout 2008. (PRWeb Apr 17, 2008)
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empower their clients with the most current real estate market knowledge and technology. Given the current state of the San Diego real estate market, it is no surprise that the most frequently asked question we get revolves around the potential tax consequences of a short sale. A short sale occurs when a property is sold for less than what is needed to pay off any loans on the property.

Martial Arts

Top 7 Keys In Choosing A Martial Arts School
Choosing a martial arts school or a martial art, itself, can be a daunting task. Let this article guide you through 7 easy steps to ask the right questions of yourself and your program.

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Muay Thai - The Unbeatable Martial Art
Muay thai is the form of martial art which began its journey from the Kingdom of Thailand more than 2000 years ago. Now it is popularly known as ‘thai boxing’ all over the world. Muaythai is the art of fighting without the use of any weapon.

Mixed Martial Arts Training Tips
Here are some important mixed martial arts training tips that are a must to learn in order to train for mma successfully. Learn what you need to know to become a good fighter.

Martial Arts

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When it comes to selling around Grapevine and   Southlake , Texas real estate  taking pride in providing the absolute best service in the greater Texas market is the only option.   You get the latest in Real Estate marketing whether you are a new or seasoned real estate investor.

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Wado Ryu Karate - General Background
History: Hironori Ohtsuka (1892 - 1982) was the founder of the Wado Ryu system of Karate. He commenced training in shindo yoshin ryu jujitsu at the age of 6, and at the age of 30, he began training under the supervision of Gichin Funakoshi (the founder of Karate-do) before founding the Wado Ryu system in 1939. Wado Ryu is one of the 4 main Japanese styles of Karate that are taught around the world. In 1939, Ohtsuka organised the All Japan Karate Do Federation Wado Ki and the Worldwide Headquarters for the Wado Ryu System. In 1967, he was the first katateka to be awarded the 5th order of merit of the sacred treasure of the Emperor of Japan as an acknowledgement of his achievements. Following his death in 1982, Hironori Ohtsuka’s son, Jiro, became the chief instructor of the Wado Ryu system. Today, there are a number of senior, well-respected representatives of Wado Ryu in Japan, who are also leaders of their own federations or associations. Characteristics of Wado Ryu: To practitioners of Wado Ryu, the main philosophy is to better their attitude both within and outside the art. This is one of the main aims of the martial art which emphasises the development of respect, discipline and understanding in a mental as well as physical capacity. This aim affects our attitude towards ourselves and others in our home life, work and social activities. To show aggression outwardly, even during training sessions, is greatly discouraged. The name Wado Ryu, approximately translated, means “the peaceful way”. Another characteristic of Wado Ryu is that unnecessarily large movements are kept to a minimum. Importance is placed on the speed and efficiency of movements with which each technique is performed, rather than the strength or physical effort outwardly shown. Exponents of Wado Ryu place great emphasis on the coordination of body movement with each particular technique. This principle is found in many other martial arts, such as ju-jitsu, aikido and kendo. This coordination is stressed at all stages of learning, from the execution of basic techniques to the application of advanced, free-fighting combinations.

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Escrima - The Filipino Martial Art
Escrima is a popular Filipino martial art dating back to the 1500s, during the colonization of the Philippine Islands by the Spanish. Escrima is a very simplified but practical form of combat technique originally designed as a self-defense tool. Escrima is also known by many other names such as Eskrima, Arnis, Arnis de Mano, Kali and FMA (Filipino Martial Art). Because of its effectiveness, Escrima is also taught extensively in many Special Forces including the Navy Seals and Army Special Forces.

Brief History:

Many believe that Escrima or Filipino Martial Art originated from Chinese influenced Indonesian fighting tactics such as Kun Tao, Chuan Fa and Tai Chi double stick forms. Others believe the Escrima art form to be wholly developed by the Filipino people. However, the most plausible explanation seems to be rooted in the history of the Spanish colonization.

When the Spanish occupied the Philippine Islands, a form of art similar to Escrima had already existed but was only recreational. However, this art began to develop into a more martial discipline when the Spanish prohibited indigenous Filipino weapons such as the Bolo (machete), daggers and fighting sticks in the 1700s. It remained a clandestine art until the Americans took over in 1898. From then on, the Filipino Martial Art started to gain recognition and popularity.

In the West, Escrima was introduced and popularized by Filipino immigrants after the Second World War, particularly in the American states of Hawaii and California.

Weapons and Footwork in Escrima:

Unlike other forms of martial arts, the primary tool to learn the basic concepts of Escrima is focus on weaponry, which is followed by empty-hand techniques. The Rattan stick is the most common weapon used in Escrima training, which includes hand and head protection when sparring. Other weapons include burned and hardened stick made of hardwood, such as Molave or Kamagong (ebony). Modern versions may be made out of aluminum, other metals, or high-impact plastics. The Nunchaku (also known as Kung Fu sticks or Double sticks) weapon was popularized by actor Bruce Lee, an avid practitioner of Escrima.

Each range - the distance between opponents - in Escrima has its own characteristics and footwork techniques. Good footwork enables efficient control of these ranges. The footwork is demonstrated in terms of triangles with two feet occupying two corners of the triangle and the step to the third corner. The shape and size of the triangle is dependant on the particular situation.

Escrima Facts:

1. Escrima is mixture of hard (like Karate) and soft (like Tai Chi Ch?uan) styles.
2. Escrima is taught on ideal street-fighting settings without the need for uniforms.
3. Restraining techniques are not focused on but rather on offensive, combat styles.
4. There are no official rankings in Escrima except for titles to recognize seniority of instructors.
5. Most of the power in Escrima is derived from body movement and economy of motion, rather than strength.
6. Escrima is a complete martial art, focusing on weaponry and empty-hand techniques.
7. Escrima provides effective training in sparring against multiple opponents.

Martial Arts HQ <a href="http://martialarts-hq.com/" title="http://martialarts-hq.com/" target="_blank">http://martialarts-hq.com/</a> offers articles, tips and tricks about different martial arts.

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